


Kooks

by Crollalanza



Series: The Captain and his Vice [23]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Homophobia, M/M, daisuga parents, domestic AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-09
Updated: 2016-03-09
Packaged: 2018-05-25 18:15:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6205555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crollalanza/pseuds/Crollalanza
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As a volleyball player, Sugawara Koushi was used to competition, but it was nothing compared to the competitive mums at his local Baby!Splash swimming class. He can stand his ground and even laugh, until a vile insinuation stops him in his tracks.</p>
<p>He knows he must fight, but sometimes it's hard when the whole world and even your mother thinks you're odd.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kooks

**Author's Note:**

> I started this story in January in the week David Bowie died. It's heavily influenced by his song 'Kooks' which I'd been wanting to base a fanfic around for years (hence the title).
> 
> This story follows the same canon as The Sunshine of Life. It's not necessary to read that first, but it explains how Emi came into their lives.

“So, you all set?” Daichi asked, finishing his morning cup of tea in one gulp.

“Everything has been planned like a military operation,” Suga replied. He tilted up his face, accepting Daichi’s customary kiss before he set out to work.  “As long as her ladyship wakes up.”

“Then I’ll get going.  Let me know how it goes, yes?” He leant over Suga, gently ruffling the light hair of the small bundle currently cocooned against his chest. “Emi-chan,” he whispered, not wanting to disturb the sleeping six month old, “have a lovely day, and make sure you splash really well.”

“I’m sure she will,” Suga murmured. He raised his arm, linking it behind Daichi’s neck and drawing him back down. Kissing him on the mouth, he allowed a few precious seconds to pass before relinquishing. “I’ll call you.”

“I’m looking forward to hearing all about it,” Daichi said. And Suga could hear the smile in his voice. Then he cleared the husk from his throat. “It’ll be fine, okay?”

“I know. Just ... uh ... first times are nerve wracking.”

“Hey, we looked at the place. The pool is good. The instructor’s friendly and the classes are small. And ... uh ... don’t feel you have to mention me if you think that’s for the best,” he whispered.

“Dai, it’s -”

“It’s fine,” he soothed. “I know you’re not lying.”

“Just omitting the truth,” Suga mumbled. “I still hate it.”

“Leaving a little mystery until you know them all better,” Daichi replied, and stroked his hair. “As long as you cover up all of Emi’s tattoos, there won’t be a problem.”

“Fool!” Suga giggled, the sound causing Emi to stir. She opened her eyes, gave a sleepy sort of smile, then blew a raspberry.  

“She is definitely not a morning person,” Daichi whispered, and nipped Suga’s ear. “Don’t know where she gets that from.”

“Go to work,” Suga grumbled. He sat back at the table, reaching across for the last piece of toast, covering his mouth with his hand as he yawned.

With a last chuckle and kiss, Daichi left their apartment, picking up his briefcase from the door.

And Suga was alone. Well, not alone because he had all six point seven kilograms of sleeping baby strapped to his chest, but as remarkable as she was (Daichi insisted she was a genius) Emi was not a great conversationalist. So the swimming classes – ‘Splash! Fun for Mummy and Baby!’ – were as much for Suga as they were for Emi. A chance to meet other parents, to discuss any minor niggles, or simply to share stories, tips and get away from the days, which could range from meltingly wonderful when she’d beam at him, through to frustration when she became capricious and refused to eat, and finally boredom at the routine.

Because, as much as he loved Emi, and he loved her with all his heart knowing this as surely as his pulse thrummed in his wrist that he’d lay down his life for her, there was still a mundanity to his days when he’d crave something more than pureeing food and changing nappies.

“Fllbah!”

He looked down, and chuckled at her. “Hello, my beautiful blessing,” he cooed. “Are you ready to start your day?”

 

When he’d spoken of a military operation, Suga had only been partially exaggerating. For the past month, they’d been sussing out the local swimming pools in an attempt to find one that would not only take babies, rather than children, but one that wouldn’t look too askance at a father taking the supervisory role. Finding a small heated pool designed especially for baby swimming classes, and then discovering it was a fun class, rather than the strictly regimented classes both of them had been subjected to through childhood, had made the decision blindingly easy. Yes, it was more expensive, but there was also a crèche in case either of them wanted to use the gym.

A short while later, still with Emi attached, Suga picked up his old kit bag, smiling at the black and orange design, and checked through the contents. “Two hats. Yes, sweetheart, I’m sorry, but you will have to wear a hat. Two towels, an extra set of clothes in case of accidents. I’m wearing my trunks already, so ... Oh!” He paused, remembering he also needed boxers for himself. “Now, then, are we going to put your swim nappy on now, or wait until we get there?”

Emi fixed him with a beady look, then clearly deciding this was a grown up decision, settled her cheek back against his chest and sucked her thumb.  Wrinkling his nose at her, Suga was about to fetch his underpants when his phone rang.

“That,” he said, recognising the ring tone, “is your grandma, Emi-chan. I wonder what she wants.”

“Hey,” he said answering.

“Koushi-chan,” his mother’s voice was light and cheerful. “How is my granddaughter?”

“You know, some people might get offended that you ask after her first before finding out if your son is okay.”

“Oh, pish. You can take care of yourself, and she’s far prettier,” his mother laughed.

“That’s true,” he agreed. “Emi is very well. We’re about to go on a new adventure, so I can’t talk for long.”

“Adventure?”

“Baby Splash!” Suga replied. “I need to be there in half an hour.”

“Koushi! Why didn’t you tell me?  I was only looking at baby clothes yesterday and saw this adorable pink swimming costume with butterflies and flowers. Perfect for her.”

“Uhm... yeah... let’s see if she likes it first,” Suga said mildly because the one reason he’d not mentioned it was his mother’s propensity to buy the frilliest and pinkest of clothes every time she entered a shop.

“What will she be wearing? They never used to let them in the pools before they were three.”

“Swim nappy and a pair of plastic pants to go over the top,” he said, hastily adding, “They’re covered in penguins and exceptionally cute, so she’s still going to look beautiful.”

He could practically see her pursed mouth and heard her faint sigh, but when she spoke, it was with a wistful tone. “You sound like you have a fun day planned, anyway.”

“Yes, well, I hope so.” He bit his lip, feeling suddenly guilty because he knew how much she doted on Emi. “How are you doing?”

“Oh, very well,” she replied, then giggled. “I had a call last night from one of my old friends. From the troupe.”

“One of your dancer friends?”

“That’s it. Junko-kun, who married the American, is back in Japan for a visit. In Tokyo, actually, with her husband, and called to see if we could meet up. So ... um ...”

“Of course you can visit!” Suga replied. “You don’t need to ask. We’d all love to see you.”

 “It’s next week. I’ll take the train.”

“Not a problem. I’ll meet you - _We’ll_ meet you when you get in.”

Emi, bored with not being the centre of attention, let out a wail.

“Is that my beautiful girl?”

“No, it’s Daichi,” Suga retorted.

“Sarcasm isn’t funny,” she reproved, and tutted. “For that, I’m going to demand extra cuddles and kisses. Give my love to the other kook.”

He grinned at her pet names, one that she’d decided on shortly after Emi had been born, one that she’d never explained. (Suga _had_ asked, but she’d laughed saying ‘you’ll work it out, Koushi’ and refused to elaborate.) When she said goodbye, he was still chuckling, and then, noticing Emi had suddenly gone very red in the face, he loosened the straps of the baby carrier and held her up in his arms. He sniffed. “Ugh, you need a change, baby-boo.”

 

They arrived early for the swimming class, so Suga took the time to chat to the receptionist as he obtained the key for a locker. With Emi now facing forward in her sling, he could see the girl on reception breaking into smiles as she gazed at her.

“We don’t get many fathers signing up for the classes,” she said, and reaching across she tickled Emi’s cheek, before peeping up at Suga. “You’re a lucky lady having such a devoted papa. Most leave it to the mummies.”

“I work from home,” Suga explained neutrally. “And I think I’m more excited about this than Emi is.”

A faint flush settled on her cheeks. Not quite looking him in the eye, the receptionist handed over his key, then gestured towards the changing rooms. “They’re ... um ... communal, but there are cubicles if you ... uh ... want privacy. Or ... uh ... if the mummies do. And when you’re changed, the baby splash pool is to the side. You can wait on the side for the teacher. Please don’t enter the pool before then.”

Nodding, he stepped over to the changing rooms. Two men were bowling out, young men in their early twenties, who barely gave him a second glance, but held open the door to let him and Emi through. He thanked them, but they’d moved on, jogging out of the Centre to get on with the rest of their day.

 

Emi was not impressed with the swimming hat, letting out a yelp when Suga stretched it over her head and tried to tuck her hair in. Balling her hands into fists, she attempted to bat it off, before turning her indignation onto her daddy, flailing at his chest.

“You have to wear it,” he whispered, trying to sound firm, but the sight of her furious pink face was making him giggle far too much.

“Ah, they never like them,” came a voice from the other side of the changing room.

Looking over his shoulder, Suga saw a young woman approach, also with a baby, but her baby had its cap on its head and wasn’t yelling the leisure centre down.

“I don’t seem to have the knack,” he confessed, sighing as Emi succeeded in tugging off one side of the hat, busting into more tears as it pulled at her hair.

“It ... um ... might be better,” the young mum said timidly, “if you used a different hat. The mesh ones are much kinder for babies. Those latex ones aren’t nice at all.”

“It’s all I’ve got,” he replied sadly. “Emi, sweetheart, you’ll just have to put up with it, or they won’t let us in the pool.”

“Um...” She stepped closer. “I do have a spare, if you’d like to borrow that. I always do in case this tears, and it’s ... um ... I mean it has a train pattern on it, but if you don’t mind-”

“Trains are perfect!” he replied, leaping at the chance. He gave the mother the benefit of his widest smile. “Sugawara Koushi,” he said, inclining his head, “And this is my daughter, Emi.”

“Oh ... y-yes. I’m ... Hisakawa Michiko, and this is my son, Daisuke.” She rifled through her bag, a proper baby-changing bag, and pulled out the hat.

“I’m very grateful, Hisakawa-san,” Suga replied, and turned back to Emi. He placed his fingers around her head, gently easing off the constricting cap, pleased when she gurgled up at him. “Right, young lady, let’s see about this one. Look, trains. Choo-choo! Chooo- chooooo”” 

Hearing a chuckle from the baby boy, Suga shot him a look, grinned, then turned to his mother. “Silly, isn’t it? Trains haven’t gone ‘choo-choo’ for decades, but we still say it.”

“Daisuke-chan loves trains,” she said, “and I know it’s probably silly because he’s still very young, but I read to him all the time.”

“So do we!” Suga replied, laughing as he thought of Daichi’s grumpy troll voice that kept Emi in fits of laughter. “Emi loves all the voices we put on. And I’m sure I read somewhere that it’s supposed to help them speak, or read, or something.” He stopped speaking, then with his tongue between his teeth he focused on Emi who was staring belligerently up at him. “Okay, ‘Choo-chooooo, Emi, time for the train to go ... uh ... over your head!”

There was a soft laugh from Hisakawa-san, and hearing that, Emi stopped wriggling long enough for Suga to wrap the hat around her head.  “Perfect! Thank you very much.”

The door opened, and a four more mothers wandered in, all chattering together. Suga picked Emi up, balancing her on his hip, as he hoisted his kit bag into the locker already containing his shoes.

“Daisuki’s looking better. That eczema’s nearly cleared up.” One of them, a woman with choppy bangs, said, shooting a look at Suga’s saviour.

“It _was_ just eczema, wasn’t it?”another asked more stridently. She stepped forwards, peering through her glasses with such ferocity that Daisuke let out a shriek.

“Yes, yes,” Hisakawa murmured, her head slightly bowed. “Nothing infectious, Matsushita-san.”

“Oh, we have a new baby!” the woman Suga assumed was Matsushita exclaimed, completely ignoring his new acquaintance. “And with a daddy, too. _How_ unusual.”

With the women chattering in agreement that, it was all very unusual, but how delighted they were that he was joining their group, Suga smiled in what he hoped was a friendly way. But out of the corner of his eye, he could see Hisakawa visibly droop. She clutched her son closer to her chest and sidled out of the door and towards the pool.

He followed her soon after, backing out of the room with a small bow, letting the other mothers change in private. Hisakawa and Daisuki were sat on a bench, and she was jiggling him up and down on her knee. Unaware she was being observed, the smile had left her face, and she looked drawn.  He recognised that look, recognised himself staring back in the mirror after too many sleepless nights, a pattern that had only recently been broken.

“Emi likes the hat. At least she hasn’t tried to take it off again and has stopped hitting me,” he murmured, sitting next to her (but not too close). “Thank you again.”

“Oh, it’s really nothing,” she said, her voice breathy but a little brighter. “I was glad to help.”

 

The class itself was quite unlike the ones Suga remembered from his childhood. The teacher was a cheerful girl, full of smiles and light, who introduced herself as Keiko-san to the adults, but whispered the babies could all call her Neesan.  And although none of them understood a word, Suga realised they recognised her tone and splashed at the water in appreciation. In his arms, Emi babbled and happily kicked her legs.

“And let’s splash Mummy’s face,” Keiko-san called. “And Daddy’s, Emi-chan.” She whispered to Suga to copy the others as they swung their babies around, encouraging them to flick water over them.

“And, dip time!” she instructed, her voice singsong. “That means you duck her under, Sugawara-san. Do yourself as well, so she thinks it’s normal.”

“Uh...” He clutched her tighter.

“She’ll be fine! The important thing is to show you’re not worried, or she’ll mirror that. Smile and she’ll smile back.”

So with a leap of faith, Suga took a breath, plunged himself under the water up to his eyes, then pulled Emi down. The surface of the water had barely passed her mouth before he was pushing her up again, but that was enough for the most indignant yelp and then a cough from her, and she glared at Suga with utmost suspicion.

The other babies were gurgling, their mums cheering them on, and he huffed out his cheeks, as Emi started to cry. “Sweetheart, I’m sorry,” he whispered, and held her close.

“She’s fine!” the teacher ordered. “And once more.”

“No ... I think ... uh ...”

“Once more, then it’s play time,” Keiko-san said, and shifted towards Suga. “I’ll take her if you like.”

And without giving Suga time to answer, she reached for Emi, holding her high in the air, and beaming up at her. “Swooping like a bird, Emi-chan,” she crooned, and whisked her downwards. “Like an eagle in the sky, and ....”

Splash, a quick dip right under, then up into the air again. Emi shrieked, but this time more with rage, and then, as the instructor handed her back to Suga, she burst into furious sobs.

“Oh, she’s a little grumpy for her Daddy,” Matsushita called out. “He should relax with her, shouldn’t he, Keiko-san?”

“Uhm...” Keiko-san switched her attention from Suga, to Matsushita, then back to Suga. “Every baby is different. And this is Emi-chan’s first time. But we keep trying, so they all become confident and happy in the water.”

“I was so lucky with Natsumi,” Matsushita continued. “She barely cried at all. Of course, she’s always loved her bath, and she’s always been very early with her milestones. I do think the mother’s touch is so...”

Her words hung in the air, leaving Suga in no doubt she blamed him for Emi’s tears. He held on to her, kissing her softly on the shoulder, whispering comfort and nonsense into her ear. As her sobs subsided, she giggled, and began to suck her thumb.

“Oh, I wouldn’t encourage that,” Matsushita said. “She’ll end up with buck teeth.”

Pressing his lips together, Suga ignored her, and when Keiko-san called out that the last five minutes was free time, he whisked Emi across the surface of the water, letting her dabble her feet, then lowering her down to her stomach.

“All better,” he whispered.

“Ba ba ba,” she babbled.

“Again?”  He grinned at her, raised her high in the air, then swooped her down to the water. “Like an eag... No.  Like a _crow_ , Emi-chan, caw-caw!”

He bumped shoulders with someone, and turning to apologise, saw Hisakawa behind him. “Emi-chan did very well,” she whispered. “Daisuki cried for weeks. Of course, that was my fault as I’m scared of water, but, well, he loves it now.”

He studied Daisuki. Watching as he thumped at the water with his splayed hands, delight percolating through him in a series of shrieks. 

“How old is he?”

“Eight months,” she replied, “and running me ragged, but...” She smiled down at him. “We think he’s worth it.”

“Baby Splash is over ladies and babies,” Keiko-san called, and swam over towards them. “And gentleman. Sugawara-san, what did you think of the trial session? Few tears haven’t put you off, have they? Only Emi-chan looks very happy now.”

“Um...” He considered his reply, but really, he didn’t have to think long. Hisakawa’s assurances that her son had hated it swayed him. “Yes, we’ll be back.”

“It’s a course of ten,” she continued, accompanying Suga to the steps. “And if your wife wants to come along instead of you, then that’s not a problem-”

He blinked, but then he was hardly surprised at the assumption. “I’m not married.”

“Oh.” She coughed, then recovered her aplomb with a smile. “Well, then tell Emi’s mummy she’s welcome to join us.”

“She’s not ... um ...” he started to say as he got out. Picking up a towel from the bench, he wrapped it around Emi until she resembled a brightly coloured burrito, and balanced her on his hip. “Emi’s mother doesn’t live with us.”

He didn’t have to look around to see the collective ‘oh’s on the faces of the other parents. He could hear the soft sound of indrawn breaths, and then there was a hand on his arm.

“Would you like to join us for coffee?” Matsushita offered.

“Coffee?”

“There’s a cafe in the leisure centre. We always go there after Baby Splash.”

Taken aback by her sudden show of friendliness, Suga glanced Hisakawa-san’s way. “Everyone goes?”

She nodded frantically. “You’re very welcome,” she whispered.

(And was he imagining a plea in her voice?)

Waiting respectfully while they chose their cubicles, then locking himself into one of the smaller ones, Suga dried himself first, leaving Emi sitting wrapped in her towel and chewing contentedly on a rice cake.

“Now then,” he whispered, crouching on the floor. “Shall we get you dressed?”

There were changing mats outside the cubicles, and rather than lay her onto the floor, he instead picked Emi up, opened the door with his elbow, and headed towards them. Only Hisakawa was around, now dressing Daisuki in blue jogging pants and a t-shirt with a duck on the front.  She smiled shyly at him, twisting a tress of her hair behind her ear, then returned her attention to her son, who had now sat up on the mat.

“He’s lively!” Suga said.

“Mmm, started pulling himself up on furniture,” she murmured. “I’ll have to baby-proof the apartment sooner than I thought.”

“Emi rolls onto her front, but hasn’t worked out how to get back,” Suga confessed. “Then she yells until she’s turned onto her back. Not sure if we’re too quick to help her. Maybe if she was left, then she’d turn back herself.”

Hisakawa laughed softly, the sound breathy and almost musical. “Don’t encourage her,” she warned. “Once they can move, that’s when the hard work starts.”

“Oh dear, so this is just a lull, is it?” he asked, pulling out Emi’s t-shirt from the bag, and stretching the neck out to fit over her head.

Her lips twitched. “That’s a cute top. Does she like prawns, then?”

“It’s a shrimp,” he replied, mock scowling. “Someone’s idea of a joke. And there’s supposed to be a pink pair of leggings to go with it, but as usual, I’ve not packed them, and she’ll be mismatched. Daddy is a disgrace, Emi-chan!”

“I don’t think she minds,” Hisakawa remarked, then smiled at them both. “She’s very content, isn’t she?”

“Except when being ducked under water,” he whispered.

 

The cafe attached to the leisure centre was bright and noisy. In Suga’s arms, Emi waved her hands in the air, her attention everywhere as she took in the sounds of china mugs clinking, the smells of delicious food wafting their way, and then the colours in one corner of a special area laid out for the children, fenced off from the rest of the cafe.

Matsushita had already seized a table large enough for them all, when Suga wandered in. Now on her phone, she waved, then pointed to the play area, indicating that was where she’d placed Natsumi. And as Emi seemed eager, Suga lowered her down into the giant playpen.  Picking up a maraca, she squealed with delight at the noise it made, so he gave her a finger kiss on the top of her head, then smiled at the group.

“Shall I buy coffees?”

A collective gasp.

“Uh ... sorry, have I said something wrong?”

It was Matsushita who leant forwards to whisper, “You won’t understand, being a man, but caffeine isn’t good for babies and it ... uh ... transmits when the baby is feeding, so...”

“Oh!” Suga swallowed. “I am so sorry. I didn’t think. Look, I’ll ... um ...” he got to his feet, flustered at the thought that he’d embarrassed them all. “Please, let me buy other drinks, and cakes. I noticed the chocolate muffins on the way in, except ... chocolate, you won’t want that either, will you?”

“Chamomile tea all round, I think, don’t you, ladies?” Matsushita replied, with a disarmingly inclusive smile.

“And anything to eat?” he offered, pulling out his wallet. He had enough, thankfully, but would need to stop by the cashpoint on the way home. “Cookies? Fruit? Um ... lemon cake?”

“We’re fine,” Matsushita said, speaking for the group. And if they objected, none of them showed it, nodding their heads in unison, even Hisakawa.

He returned with a large pot of tea and coffee for himself, and although he really fancied a cupcake, and had looked forward to sharing the frosting with Emi, he stopped himself from buying one in deference to the others.

“You dropped your wallet,” said a mum who’d sat herself next to him.

She bent down to pick it up, and as she placed it on the table, the button popped, leaving it flapping on the table.

“Oh what a cute picture,” she exclaimed, clocking the one of Emi he’d tucked into the wallet window. “She really does have your eyes, Sugawara-san. Don’t you think so, Kiku-kun?”

Kiku-kun turned out to be Matsushita. And it was inevitable, he thought later, that she’d be the one who reached for the wallet, grabbed it before he could, and examined the photograph more closely.

And it wasn’t as if he had anything to hide, or anything he wanted to hide, but Daichi’s warning to be a little discreet rang in his ears, especially when he met Matsushita’s eyes.

“You’re not married,” she said archly.

“No,” he replied, not blinking.

“And the man in the picture?”

Could he lie? Say it was Emi’s uncle? Could he actually do that and get away with it?  Sure, he and Daichi weren’t actually kissing, and as it was a headshot, no one could see that Daichi’s arms were around Suga’s waist as he held Emi. Maybe, he could spin this out, but then it was lying and no longer by omission.

“Is the reason I’m not married,” he said levelly. “That’s Emi’s other daddy.”

And there was no imagining the reaction. Not collective this time. Horror on Matsushita’s face, suspicion on another’s, and then a series of titters. Only Hisakawa’s face was unreadable because she was staring at the floor, her hands clasping her knees.

“And her real parents?”

“We _are_ her real parents,” Suga retorted, starting to feel the flames of fury flickering inside of him.

“You know what I mean!” she said, her voice quiet, but not at all gentle.

“Biologically Emi is my daughter. Physically and _emotionally_ , she is _our_ daughter.”

She looked away first, and he saw the way her fingers were trembling. He stared at his own, pleased they were steady, and reached for the teapot. “Shall I be mother?” he asked, staring at them all.

It was Hisakawa who answered first, a mumble from her lips as she pushed her cup towards him. “Thank you for the tea, Sugawara-san.”

And although the ensuing silence was awkward, no one really knowing where to look, Suga took comfort from the fact that no one was actually ignoring him. He poured the five cups of tea, then sat back in his chair and sipped at his coffee.

“So ... um ... h-how did you meet?” said the mum sitting next to him. She flushed a little and flapped her hand. “You’re a cute couple.”

“Are we?” he replied mildly, but not wishing to rock the boat anymore he gave the rather bland answer of meeting at school.

“Childhood sweethearts?” someone said, with a slight giggle in her voice.

“High School volleyball club,” he amended. “We’ve been together a long while. And you?”

There was a flurry of answers, ranging from ‘holiday’ to ‘friend of my cousin’s’ with Matsushita-san chiming in finally that she’d met her husband at work.  He tried a smile, about to ask her what work that was, but at that moment, Emi let out a cry.

“Stuck again!” Suga sighed and leaning towards her, he picked her off from the floor, deciding to hold her on his knee. “Not quite mastered the art of rolling yet, have you, Emi-chan?”

“She needs to strengthen her neck and back muscles. She’ll _never_ roll if you keep picking her up.”

He stifled the snort, imagining Emi at eleven still stuck on the floor. “Noya-san won’t be impressed at all, Emi,” he hissed, loud enough for everyone to hear. “We’ll get him to visit and teach you Rolling Thunder so we don’t have to carry you into school.”

And maybe he shouldn’t have taken the piss. Perhaps he should have just bitten his lip and accepted Matsushita’s advice with good grace because for all he knew, she could have been a child-rearing expert, but he’d always solved issues in his own way, and not by submitting.

Hisakawa let out a small gasp, and one of the other mum’s (he couldn’t remember her name, but her baby had worn a blue hat with a shark on it) giggled before lifting her teacup to her face to hide the smirk.

“I’m only offering my opinion!” Matsushita snapped. “All the experts say-”

“Uh... Did you say Noya-kun?” interrupted shark hat baby’s mum. “And Rolling Thunder?”

“Um...” He switched his attention to her. “Yes, it’s a volleyball thing. Sorry they tend to crop up in my-”

Her eyes shone. “You mean Nishinoya Yuu, don’t you?” Suga nodded and she leant across the table, touching Emi on the knee. “I played volleyball in High School. And Nishinoya-san is one of my heroes.” Her eyelids fluttered up and down. “Do you _know_ him?”

“We played at school together,” Suga said with a grin. “I was his senpai. And he’s kind of an unofficial uncle to Emi now. She has a few, mind you.” He flicked his eyes towards the rest of the group, resting on Matsushita. “And two very doting aunts.”

***

“So, your text didn’t tell me much, but it was fun, right?” Daichi said later that evening. With Emi in his arms, he was giving her a bottle before he’d settle her to sleep.

“I signed up for the course,” Suga replied. “Emi loved splashing me, just not as keen on getting water on her own face.”

“Can give it out, but not so good at taking it, huh?” Daichi chided his daughter. Then he winked at her. “Sounds like someone else I know.”

“Ha ha. Do you want a punch, Sawamura?”

He smiled good-naturedly, then shifting his legs off the sofa, gestured with his head for Suga to join him. “So, what didn’t you tell me?”

Suga sighed. The trouble with Daichi was that he was always perceptive, able to read between the lines, or the texts in this case. “Nothing I can’t handle. The others found out about you and me, but ... uh ... two of them are friendly.” Settling onto the sofa, he tucked his legs under him, and began to tell the story, ending with a giggle when he mentioned Nishinoya.

“So our Libero saved our asses.”

“Bottom!” Suga reproved. “I swear to god, if our daughter’s first word is ay ess ess,” he spelled out the word, a prim set to his lips, “then I’m going to punch you.”

“I’m glad it went well,” Daichi replied. Taking the bottle from Emi’s mouth, he lifted her onto his shoulder, muslin cloth already in place, and began to rub her back. “Have you swimming in no time, Shrimpy!”

Unable to punch Daichi because Emi was in the way, Suga settled for a mock glower. “Oh, forgot to tell you. Mum’s visiting next week.”

“Come on, little one, burp for Daddy,” Daichi whispered, keeping up the rhythmic circular movements.  “Baa-san’s going to bring us cake, Emi. A big chocolate cake, all for me because you’re too little. But I’ll tell you about it.”

“You’ll be lucky,” Suga scoffed. “She’ll bring an extra bag stuffed full of clothes and toys for her precious granddaughter. Us pair of ‘kooks’ won’t get a look in.”

“Not fair.”

As Daichi pretended to sulk, pouting out his bottom lip, Emi let fly a burp, then wriggled her fist up to Daichi’s face. “Yes, yes, all right, you want the rest,” he murmured, and setting her back in the crook of his arm, he picked up the half-full bottle. “Baa-san isn’t going to let me anywhere near you next week, Emi. I better make the most of you while I can.”

“On the bright side, we have a babysitter,” Suga said, stifling a yawn. “We might even get a meal out.”

“My god, I’ve forgotten what a restaurant looks like. At least I’ve forgotten what one looks like that doesn’t heat bottles for you.”

 

***

The following week, Suga was even better prepared. Having bought possibly the cutest hat he could find, covered in fishes (he did have to stop Daichi drawing a shrimp among the coral) he arrived at the leisure centre in plenty of time for the lesson and wandered over to the desk. He didn’t know if he was imagining it, but Emi was waving her arms up and down, as if in excitement and he grinned at her, knowing he’d made the right decision to return. Even if he wasn’t going to become friendly with all the mums, she would have a good time and—

“Can I help you?”

He stopped his reverie and smiled at the receptionist, a young girl with bitten nails and hair braided in a thick plait. “Sugawara Koushi and Emi. We’re booked into Baby Spla...” He trailed off because the receptionist’s cheeks had gone a very delicate shade of pink, and she was turning away from him.

“Uh ... we don’t seem to have your booking.”

“I paid last week,” Suga replied, and reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out the leisure club passes. “Here, you can check. I also have the receipt for the class.”

“Um...” She tapped on her keyboard, but there was something forced and slow about it. “I’m sorry, Sugawara-san, but I can’t find a record of –”

“Could you check again?” he said and stared at her. In his arms, Emi was blowing raspberries, clearly bored with waiting. “Or let me through now, and we’ll sort this out later.”

“Um... there’s a note here,” she muttered. “It’s ... um ... I think ... I need to get someone else.”

“Why?”

“I’ll get ... uh ...”

“Why?” Suga repeated, his voice taking on a darker, more determined tone. He placed his hand on the top of the screen. “May I see?”

She swallowed, then, looked straight up at him, embarrassment and apology fighting for ascendency in her eyes. “It’s been cancelled.”

“The class?” he asked neutrally, just to make sure.

“Um, no, your booking,” she admitted, and then frowned. “Sorry, I don’t know why. Unless the credit card didn’t go through. But there’s a note to speak to the manager.”

Before Suga could utter another word, a woman had joined them. From her demeanour, he could tell she had seniority, and from the way she was eyeing him, he knew she’d been waiting for him. “Suki-kun, is there a problem?”

“Are you the manager?” Suga asked.

“I’m the Leisure and Wellness Coordinator,” she replied stiffly.

Suga raised an eyebrow. “There appears to be a problem with your computer. I booked the swimming class for myself and my daughter and-”

“Ah,” she held up her hand. “Sugawara-san. There ... uh ... isn’t a problem with the booking, except it shouldn’t have been taken in the first place.”

“What?”

She pressed her thin lips together and took a quick breath. “It’s a _mother_ and baby group.”

He stared at her. “This was not an issue when I booked,” he said, his voice clear. “There was absolutely no problem when we first enquired about the class. I was told everything was in order, that the term ‘mother’ was merely...” he searched for the word, “’semantics’.  And the rules in small print state the parent’s responsibility, not the ‘mother’s’.”

“It is ... uh ... a changing room issue.”

“Something else I was assured was fine,” Suga continued. Emi let out an impatient wail. “All right, sweetheart, we’ll be swimming soon.”

“The mothers are uncomfortable having a man in the-”

“In a locked cubical next to them? In a communal changing room? ” he queried, and leant across the desk, giving his best impression of Daichi when he wanted to assert his authority. “Have you asked them all?”

“There have been concerns expressed, not just in the changing rooms but in the pool,” the manager continued. “The mothers are in bathing costumes after all, and some of them do not feel comfortable.”

“What concerns?” He clicked his tongue. “The one thing I can promise you is that I am not the slightest bit interested in any of the ladies in the class.”

She brushed his words away, moving the young girl off the computer as she began to tap on the keyboard. “We have credited your card for the class, Sugawara-san. And here’s a voucher for free coffee in the cafeteria for the next month.”

“You think we want to continue being members?” His voice was raised but not shrill. “We joined purely for the class. It is out of our way to come here, except for the pool.”

“That is ... unfortunate. We can of course cancel the membership but there’s a three month-”

“Do _not_ talk to me about contracts. I know a lawyer who deals with them on a daily basis,” he seethed, and reached for his phone. “An extremely good one. Would you like me to call him now?”

“That won’t be necessary.”

On the back foot, she looked up from the screen. “Sugawara-san, I ... this situation isn’t an easy one, and I do wish-”

“There is no situation,” Suga replied, taking a breath and hoping he could channel Daichi at his most commanding. “We’ve established I’m not leering at the mums. I was even invited to have coffee with them after the class, so they clearly weren’t uncomfortable with having me around.  We’ve also established that it isn’t purely a mum and baby class. I am a parent and I’m bringing my daughter. Keiko-san urged me to sign up and made me very welcome. Now, if you will let me through, then any _misunderstandings,”_ he deadened the word, meeting her eyes and refusing to look away, “may be sorted out later. A locker key, please.”

“I ... I cannot give that out to you. Not for the Baby Splash class. Although if you wish to use the general pool and leave your ... uh ... daughter in the crèche...”

He took a deep breath, keeping his voice as low and steady as he could, desperate not to upset Emi, who was squirming against him and starting to fret. “I don’t wish that at all. Tell the manager I am here.”

“Sugawara-san, the manager will not –”

“Or the owner,” he interrupted, holding her eyes with a steely gaze.

She blinked first, took a step away from the counter, and then gestured with her hand towards a door on the right. “If you would like to wait in there, I shall inform the manager you are here. You might be waiting a while as he is in a meet-”

“I can wait,” he declared, and jiggling Emi in his arms, he soothed her with a kiss. He noticed the young receptionist biting her lip, not quite able to meet his eyes, but as the older woman left, she reached over and touched Emi’s fingers.

“We have milk and juice if your daughter would like something,” she murmured, her face now pink.

“That’s kind, but I have a bag for her,” he replied stiffly. Then, turning on his heel, he strode towards the room.

It was at least comfortable there, with a squashy chair and carpeted floor. Releasing Emi from the sling, he placed her on the floor, then opened up his bag to hand her a rice cake.  She stared up at him balefully.

“Sorry, sweetheart, I will have this sorted out in no time,” he assured her. “And if I don’t, then your other Daddy is going to come down and shout in his best lawyer voice.” 

Emi smushed the rice cake in her hand, and started to blow bubbles. Grinning at her, Suga slid to the floor, sitting cross-legged on the carpet. “And,” he continued, “if that doesn’t work, then we’re going to summon Uncle Asahi and Uncle Ryuunosuke to glare threateningly at them all.”

It was just as she started to giggled that Suga heard the flurry of voices and footsteps. He glanced over his shoulder, realising he’d left the door ajar, and began to get to his feet in preparation for meeting the manager.

Then stopped. And listened.

No one came into the room, but he recognised the voice leading the conversation and instinctively bristled.

“No, I spoke to the desk, and he won’t be back,” Matsushita called. “There was something not quite right about it, don’t you think?”

Suga froze. Matsushita’s strident voice, her clipped tones making her next words even more venomous, her insinuations rippling across like a wave, only becoming fainter as the group of mothers walked towards the changing rooms. And he felt a sudden rush of tears prick his eyes, rage and utter sadness fighting for supremacy.

But he couldn’t cry, not here. Not only because Emi was staring up at him, but because he wouldn’t give anyone the satisfaction of seeing the tears he hid so successfully from the world.

“Change of plan, my beautiful blessing,” he whispered. “Let’s surprise Daddy with a visit.”

***

 

“Suga, what are you doing here?” Daichi immediately leapt up from his desk, striding towards Suga before he’d got through his office door. “Is Emi okay?” 

“She’s fine,” Suga replied, lowering the bag to the floor.

Daichi held out his arms, taking Emi from Suga, and ushering him to a seat. “Did you cancel swimming, then?”

“No,” Suga said wearily. “Swimming cancelled us.”

“What?” He nuzzled Emi’s fingers as she batted his face, then sat on the edge of his desk.

“I was told it’s a mother and baby group only,” Suga began, keeping his voice light.

“But... uh ... we looked into this.”

“Then I was told it was awkward in the changing rooms. And the mums felt uncomfortable with me in the pool, something like that.” He snorted. “I went as far as to tell them that me leering over women in swimming costumes was not going to happen.”

As Suga had known he’d do, Daichi immediately switched to lawyer mode.  “They can’t cancel on those grounds,” he said, seeking the practical solution before any other. “You did tell them-”

“Of course I did. I reminded them that the changing rooms are communal, and that there’s nothing in the rules banning fathers.” He swallowed. “I held my ground, Dai, and insisted on seeing the manger.”

“Who said what?”

Shaking his head, Suga slumped back in the seat. He stared at the ceiling. “I left before I could see him.”

“Right.” Tight-lipped Daichi rose from his desk. He hoisted Emi onto his hip, then held out one hand. “Give me twenty minutes and I’ll come down there with you.”

“There’s no point.”

“There is every point if they’re discriminating against you! Against us.”

He started to shiver, and clenched his hands around the chair arms, desperate to block out not just the voice of Matsushita, but the inane giggles and then, even worse, the silence.

“Suga, what happened?” Daichi asked softly. “It’s not like you to run away from a fight.”

“’I’m thankful that I have a girl’,” Suga mimicked.

“What?”

“One of the mums.”

Daichi frowned. “Let me guess. The one who gave you the lecture about rolling?”

“Mmm, she’s like the queen bee.” He swallowed hard, but the lump in his throat sat solid and immovable. “’I’d be so worried if I had a son’, was her next comment. Because obviously, I’m gay so I’m also ...” He trailed off, and despite his resolution to not give in, tears began to leak from his eyes. “I never thought this was going to be easy, the pair of us having a child, just didn’t think I’d let someone’s vile insinuation hurt me so much.”

He could hear Daichi’s deep indrawn breath, and a tiny babble of sounds emanating from Emi. “Do you want to go back there? I’ll come down.”

“Take them all on?” Suga said wryly and sighed. “Matsushita will have gone by now. And what is the actual point? Opinions like hers are rife, and there’s no changing them. I just ...” He wiped his eyes, and then clearing his head with a shake, he sat up straight. “What hurt me most was that I didn’t hear anyone saying anything different.”

Still cradling Emi, Daichi crouched on the floor in front of Suga, and with his free hand, reached across to touch his cheek. “We’re in this together,” he whispered. “And I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you today.”

On instinct, Suga twisted around, pouting his lips into Daichi’s palm. “I know we are. But you can’t always be there, Dai, and there’s nothing you could have done.” He sniffed, and then smiled a little. “You’d have shouted.”

“Probably.” Placing Emi on Suga’s lap, he reached over, enveloping both of them in a hug. “Don’t like seeing you cry, Sug. Never have and never will.”

“Ba ba ba ba!” Emi flailed her arms, managing to hit both of them on their noses.

They both giggled.  “Princess Emi does not like being ignored,” Daichi said, very solemnly.  He stood up, gave her a mock-bow. “I can finish up here really quick. We can go back or ... spend the afternoon together. Just the three of us. What do you say?”

“That would be-” Suga broke off, just as his phone vibrated, and raised his eyebrows. “I was going to say lovely, but it’ll be the four of us. Mum’s arriving in about half an hour, I’d guess from the message. I need to meet her at the station.”

Daichi glanced back to his desk, screwing up his face as he considered. “Okay, give me ten minutes and I’ll come along.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Yeah, I do, because I know you’re not going to tell your mum, are you?” he replied.

Suga pulled a face. “Not unless I want to start the apocalypse in that gym. She’d be straight down there, high kicking the staff and the mums into the middle of next week. But, honestly, Dai, I’m okay, and you look busy, so I should leave you to it.”

“Not that busy,” Daichi replied and pressed a tiny kiss onto Emi’s nose. “Besides, I have to make sure you don’t eat all the chocolate cake, don’t I, Emi-chan?”

 

Suga’s mum’s train was on time (as expected) and they arrived five minutes before she did, standing on the platform to wait. Holding Emi in his arms, he was somewhat surprised that Daichi hadn’t tried to hold her, but he guessed Daichi knew the best way to keep a smile on his face was to have that very real contact with her.

And he couldn’t let that smile falter, not now. It had been only half a joke that his mum on hearing the news would turn into some vigilante ninja – she might have been slight and benign looking, but she was, both of them knew, the fiercest of mothers and that attitude had only intensified now she was a grandmother.

“How many cases do you think she’ll have?” Daichi asked.

“One for her clothes, and maybe seven full of gifts for Emi,” Suga said drily. “Do you think she’d ease up if we moved back to Miyagi?”

Daichi started, his head whipping round to face Suga. He swallowed. “Why did you say that?”

Suga shook his head. “No reason.”

“Is that...”

He reached across, squeezing Daichi’s arm. “It’s an observation, Daichi. I’m not hankering to leave Tokyo based on one reaction. And Miyagi is ...”  he flapped his hand, “small town attitudes. I’m not sure we’d be any better off there, and certainly, monetarily, we’d suffer.”

“But you’ve thought about it?”

“No, no, not really. We went through this before we had Emi.” The rail line began to clack, Suga inhaled. “Right, who has the biggest smile for Obaa-chan?”

She had two cases and a holdall with her, handing the last straight over to Daichi, before plucking Emi from Suga’s arms, and twirling her in the air as she pirouetted on the platform.

“My beautiful girl!” she said, laughing with delight, even when Emi stopped her shrieking and blew raspberries instead. “You have got so much bigger, Emi-chan. It’s a good job Baa-chan went shopping, isn’t it?”

“More pink dresses?” Suga murmured, shooting Daichi an amused look.

“I heard that, Koushi,” she rapped, then smiled wider at Emi, her eyes open and beaming. “Boys don’t understand about clothes, sweetheart. That’s where I come in.” Then she laughed, turning to Daichi. “Chiharu came with me. I promise I have stopped with the frills and flowers. But there are some pink bunnies, and maybe a duck or two because you’re a champion swimmer now, isn’t that right, darling?”

As Suga began to speak, making sure he added a light tone and an indulgent chuckle, Daichi jumped in.

“Bunnies are good,” he said firmly. “Pink or otherwise.”

“Right answer,” she replied, and patted his cheek. “Take care of that holdall, it has something in there just for you.”

“Chocolate cake?” Daichi’s eyes lit up.

“Of course,” she replied. “Especially for my favourite kook.”

“Uh ... and your son?” Suga cried. “Your firstborn. Do I get any look in at all?”

Her lips twitched. “Bring the cases, Koushi. I might just have something there for you.”

 

With his mum scooting in the back so she could be next to Emi, Suga let Daichi drive. Ostensibly this was so he could turn around to talk, but although there was conversation around him, Suga knew he was staring out of the window more often than he was contributing.

Tokyo was crowded, people scurrying out of their offices to grab lunch, or groups of tourists meandering down the pavements, or attempting to cross the road in the midst of the traffic. With air pollution shimmering around them in the heat of the day, he made a mental note to buy more masks for Emi for the next week.

_We wouldn’t need them in Miyagi._

The thought came unbidden in his mind, and he brushed it away because they’d been through this before – many  times – and Tokyo always won.

_I can’t let one spiteful woman’s opinion affect us all._

“Hey,” Daichi muttered, glancing sideways. “You okay?”

He nodded, meaning it. His shoulders feeling lighter, and catching his reflection in the wing mirror, he hurriedly unfurrowed his brow, and smoothed a grin onto his mouth. “Looking forward to Baa-chan changing all the nappies,” he said loudly. “Especially as Emi’s started solids now.”

Emi was fussing in the car, not her usual happy self at all despite valiant attempts from her grandma to cheer her up. It was when they got back to the apartment, and Suga lifted her out of her car seat, he realised why. She was wet. The swim nappy he’d put her in before the class might have been suitable for the class, but even with the plastic wrap over the top it hadn’t contained the resulting deluge. Feeling horribly guilty for not changing her into something more absorbent, he whisked her into her bedroom, lying her flat on the changing mat atop her chest of drawers.

“Sorry, bee bee,” he whispered, kissing her softly on the forehead, before tugging off her leggings (which matched her top for once) and disposing of the drenched nappy in the bin.

Emi yelled louder, squeezing tears out of her eyes, her face red and furious. Normally when she became fractious, Suga would giggle, soothing her with his singsong voice, dealing with her quickly, and far better than Daichi, who still had a tendency to panic and assume she was ill when she yelled.  But today, his normally deft fingers fumbled for the wipes and nappy. She yelled again. All thumbs, he dropped the cream on the floor, and just as he bent down, Emi let out another cry.

Time slowed. From his position on the floor, he watched her flailing arms, and with monumental effort, Emi finally achieved what she’d been threatening to do for a week and rolled.

“NO!” he shrieked. But even as he’d shouted the words, his lightening reflexes kicked in, and he caught her just as she tipped off her changing mat.

He clutched her tight, the shocked tears on his face splashing onto her hair, as he slid to the floor, whispering sorry, sorry, sorry as he grappled  for breath.

“Sug!” Daichi was at the door, worry etched on his face, and in the background, his mum was hovering. “What happened?”

He gulped down a sob, trying to smile. “Emi-chan has decided she’d like to roll,” he explained, or tried to, but the words hitched in his throat. “I was picking something up ...and ... I caught her but ... if she’d fallen, she could have ... her face would have-”

“She wasn’t hurt. She didn’t fall. You saved her.” Daichi crouched down to Suga’s side, touching him on the shoulder, not even attempting to take Emi from him. “And she’s not crying now.”

“It was my fault. Fuck, Fuck, _Fuck!_ ”

“Just as it was my fault the day we picked up the new buggy and I didn’t clip her in properly.”

“That was different. That could have happened to anyone, but no one leaves a baby unattended on a changing mat.”

“Koushi.” His mum approached. “Accidents happen. You know that.”

He watched them exchange eyemeets, and then Daichi wriggled his hands under Suga’s wrapping them around Emi. “I’ll change her. You go and sit down with your mum,” he said.

“I can do it,” Suga said, but it was half-hearted, and he relinquished her freely.

“I know you can,” Daichi murmured, and smoothed back Suga’s hair, “but you don’t have to do this alone. Any of it.”

He trudged towards the lounge, peeling off to the kitchen and asking his mum if she wanted tea.

“I drank enough on the train,” she said, and took his arm as she steered him to the sofa. “And I want to hear about you.”

“What about me?” he asked warily.

“Hmm, well, for one thing you were very quiet in the car. Normally you’re telling me every new thing Emi-chan has done, but today, nothing,” she began, and then paused to ruffle his hair. “So, are you going to tell me what’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing,” he mumbled. “Bad day. Lack of sleep. That’s all.”

“Koushi, I  haven’t been your mother for thirty-one years without picking up some knowledge,” she said, her fingers teasing out the knots in his hair. “I know when there’s something not right with you. I could see it before we even got in the car.”

“What?”

“You smile and smile, but it’s too bright, too brittle,” she whispered. “So, come on, talk to me.”

Despite his resolve, he couldn’t keep quiet. She clasped him to her, and all at once, the sensory overload transported him right back to childhood. He could smell the rose-scent of her perfume, feel the softness of her hands and hear the beat of her heart. And he began to tell her, the words stuttering out of him, broken and faltering, as he tried to explain in the calmest of ways just what had happened. Her fingers tightened on her shoulder and he waited for her to react, to exclaim, but instead she kissed him lightly on the temple and implored him to finish.

“So, what are you going to do now?” she asked finally.

“I don’t know,” he said wearily. “Daichi will find some loophole in the contract, so we won’t lose any money.”

“But what about the class?” she said.

“I ... I don’t know, Kaa-san,” he replied. “How do you fight prejudice like that?”

“By standing up to it,” she said, her voice steely.

He rubbed at the bridge of his nose, digging in his finger and thumb to ward off the encroaching headache. “We’ve effectively been banned. There’s nothing to stand up to.”

“Go back there,” she insisted. “Point out their rules. Tell them they’ve broken their contract. Threaten to sue. You can’t ignore this, Koushi!” Holding him away from her, his face in her hands, she brushed away one his tears. “This is not like you at all.”

“You didn’t hear what she said. Her voice, her accusation. It was vile.”

“You’ve been called worse, Koushi, and to your face, haven’t you,” she reminded him. “I remember High School, and again at college. But you always fought back.”

“It’s different,” he said, and pulling away, he stared at his hands. “This isn’t just about me and Daichi, not now. This affects Emi, and if I go back there, if I make a fuss instead of just finding somewhere else, then what will it do to her because I swear if they say anything to me, then I won’t be able to leave quietly.”

“And you shouldn’t!” she declared. “Koushi, you have to either tackle them or breeze in there with your head held high, but you can’t run away!”

“One baby for delivery!” Daichi breezed in, holding Emi across his arm, zooming her in like an aeroplane. He stopped on seeing them. “Ah, shall I ... uh ... come back?”

Suga shook his head. But before he could say anything, his mum had turned away, reaching for Emi and talking to Daichi even as she smiled.

“Talk some sense into my son, Dai-chan. He won’t even go back to this place.”

“Uh ... well ... it’s up to Suga, Okaa-san,” he replied, respectfully “Class is as much for him as Emi, so if he’s not comfortable, then-”

“Ridiculous, but just as I expect. Pair of you, a couple of kooks, and not-”

“Stop it!” Suga hissed. “Stop it. Even you, my own mother, can’t stop with the cracks, can you?”

“What?” She whipped towards him, her hands dropping back to her lap before she’d taken Emi. “I don’t... what are you talking about?”

“Kooks,” he said, his voice rising. “It’s what you call us, isn’t it? All the time? And yes, you think it’s a joke, and it’s all good fun, but it’s not, is it? It’s pointing out we’re different, that we’re odd, _queer_ , because people like us shouldn’t... shouldn’t have kids and-”

“Suga!” Daichi called out. And although he was calm, Emi in his arms whimpered, her eyes huge and lip trembling as she faced her Daddy.

He heaved a breath, and spoke no less forcefully but in a lower tone. “Mum, I know how supportive you are and how much you love Emi, but if _you_ think we’re odd for having a child, then how do you expect me to tackle the rest of the worlds’ prejudice?”

And she smiled, not bitterly, nor sadly. It wasn’t a wide smile, but one of her genuine ones – he could tell by the way her eyes crinkled at the sides. “You haven’t worked it out yet, have you?” she said peaceably.

“What?”

“Kooks,” she whispered. Getting to her feet, she reached for Emi, taking her in her arms, and smiling down at her as she jiggled her up and down, soothing away her tears.

She started to hum something, and then a few words- English words- spilt out of her mouth, and as she continued to sing, a vague memory wisped back to Suga.

“ _Will you stay in our Lovers' Story?”_  
_“If you stay you won't be sorry,_  
_'Cause we believe in you.”_

She glanced at Suga. “Do you remember yet, Koushi?”

He stared at her, the refrain nagging at him, until at last the picture of her dancing around their room at home, a baby strapped to her chest and a boy twirling under her arm, flooded his mind.“You sang that to us,” he gasped. “To me and Chiharu.”

“And do you remember the rest?”

“Uh...” He shook his head. “Not really.”

_“Soon you’ll grow,”_ she continued, slowly emphasising each word as her eyes flicked from Suga to Daichi.  
_“So take a chance,_  
_On a couple of ‘kooks’...”_

“OH!” he shrieked with laughter.

“Huh?” Daichi asked. “What are you so excited about?”

“It’s us!” Suga declared.  “A couple of kooks.”

“A minute ago that was a bad thing,” he replied, puzzled

“Daichi doesn’t know the rest,” his mum said sagely. “Are you going to sing it, Koushi, or shall I?”

He grinned at her, then standing up, he booped Emi on the nose. “Both of us,” he replied.

_“Soon you’ll grow, so take a chance_  
_On a couple of Kooks_  
_Hung up on romancing.”_

Daichi blinked. “Uh ... okay. Look, my English isn’t as good as yours, but I take it that’s good?”

Laughing, Suga rapidly translated, adding, “Some guy’s singing to his baby. They’re an unconventional couple, but they know things will be good because ...” He trailed off and gestured for his mum to continue.

“Some _guy!_ ” his mum exclaimed, throwing up her hands in mock-horror. “That was David Bowie, darling. The most influential musician of his age in Western music. Honestly, how can you-”

“Yeah, yeah,” Suga laughed. “I think Daichi’s more interested in why you associate the song with us, rather than an analysis of his career.”

She scowled at him, then relaxed. “The pair of you,” his mum continued, “are the _most_ romantic, in love couple I’ve _ever_ seen. From High School, through college and now with a baby. You’ve gone through so much together, and yet, you’re still _as_ in love, aren’t you? That’s what I mean when I call you _Kooks_ – because you’re still ‘hung up’ on each other.” Her voice broke, catching at her throat as she snuggled Emi close, pecking a kiss on her cheek. “But ... Koushi, Daichi, if you hate it so much, then of course I will stop.”

Daichi shrugged, or half shrugged, and he stopped the smile that was twitching at his lips, deferring instead to Suga. ‘Up to you,’ his eyes said.

So Suga smiled, leant towards his mum to give her a kiss, then settled back on the sofa. “We are kooks. We’re different, I can’t deny that. It’s not us that’s the problem, though, is it?”

Hearing a rap at the door, Daichi wandered out of the lounge, and Suga closed his eyes. He felt the cushions sink and knew his mum had joined him.

“So, are you going to fight?” she asked.

“I’m fighting all the time,” he sighed. “But I won’t stop. I’ll take her swimming by myself if I have to.”

“Or I could come along,” she replied, and touched his knee. “I bought my costume, and ... uh ... some new shorts for you.”

He opened his eyes. There was something about her innocent expression he didn’t quite trust, possibly because he’d seen it so many times on his own when he was teasing Daichi. But before he could question her, the sound of voices, not entirely unfamiliar, reached him, and he straightened up as Daichi led three people into the room.

Three women.

Two carrying babies.

Daichi coughed. “Uh, Suga, these ladies say they know you.”

“Hisakawa-san?” He blinked rapidly, then smiled incredulously, getting to his feet and bowing. “Keiko-san, and ... uh ... I’m sorry,” he said, turning to the third woman, the mum whose baby boy had worn the shark hat, “I never caught your name.”

She wrinkled up her nose as she smiled, bowing her head, then saying in a very confident voice, “Maki Hiroe, and this is Kenta.”

“Um... yes, hello. Uh ... this is Daichi, my ... um ... Emi’s other daddy, and this is my mother. These ladies are from the swimming group. Keiko-san is the teacher.”

His mum inclined her head politely, not giving an inch. They bowed again.

And then Keiko-san coughed, and gave a nervous smile encompassing them all. “I ... uh ... expect you’re wondering why we’re here.”

“It was Michiko-kun’s idea,” Maki said, gesturing to Hisakawa.

“I missed you at class,” she mumbled, her eyes on her feet.

“Uh ... okay.” Suddenly aware they were all standing, he stood up to free a space, then waved his hand at the one armchair.

“I’ll make tea, okay?” Daichi said, and winked across at Suga. “Do you want to give me a hand, Okaa-san?”

She shook her head, her eyes a little less frosty but still intent as she stared at the three visitors.

“We _all_ missed you at class,” Keiko put in as she sat on the floor. “I thought I must have scared you off by ducking Emi under water.”

“It wasn’t that.”

“Mmm, we know,” Maki replied. She chewed at her lip. “Look, Sugawara-san, there’s no point in beating about the bush, but I’m sure I saw you leaving the leisure centre, so  I’m guessing you overheard Matsushita mouthing off in the reception area.”

He nodded. “She wasn’t exactly quiet about her opinions,” he replied, a little stiffly.

“And then, I suppose you thought all of us felt like that?” she suggested, her cheeks pinking.

“It had crossed my mind.” He stared at her. “I didn’t hear anyone disagreeing.”

“And I’m ashamed of that,” Maki replied. “I should have said something straight away, but it’s hard sometimes to speak against the crowd, and what she said had taken me aback. I always knew she was opinionated and irritating, what I didn’t know was what a bigot she was.” Her eyes flicked to Hisakawa. “Michiko-kun wasn’t with us, so had no idea, and ... uh ... Keiko-san wasn’t aware you’d been prevented from joining us.”

“Oh.”

“And when they did find out,” she continued. “Well ... um ... Michiko spoke out.” She grinned at her. “I never knew you were so eloquent. And angry.”

Blushing, Hisakawa attempted a wobbly smile. “It was wrong,” she mumbled.

“Michiko told her, told them all, that it was a horrible insinuation,” Maki continued, when Hisakawa looked away.  “She even asked Matsushita if she should keep Daisuke-chan away from her, because as she was obviously _straight_ , could she trust herself near a young boy?”  She chuckled. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone go quite so purple in the face. Matsushita looked like a plum.”

“That’s ... um ...” Speechless, Suga felt tears welling again and a scratchy mass formed in his throat, rendering him incapable of speech. “Thank you,” he tried to say, his voice husky.

And it appeared Hisakawa was having as much difficulty as he was in speaking. She clutched Daisuki closer to her, shoulders hunched, but there was a tiny smile on her pink tinged face.

“The perfect thing to say!” Suga’s mum said at last. She handed Emi to Suga, promising to return with the tea and stole out of the room.

“Sugawara-san,” Keiko said, fixing him with a stare. “I’d like you to come back to the class. I hire the pool to teach, and the leisure centre can’t stop who I decide is welcome.”

Touched, he gulped, and then dabbed at his eyes with his sleeve. Emi reached up with her hand, and patted his face, one finger poking at his mole. He grinned at her, then kissed her tiny fingers, feeling again the clutch at his heart whenever she looked his way. “That is incredibly kind of you, Keiko-san. But what about the others?”

“I’m not having anyone dictate who I have in my classes,” she replied firmly. “That’s why I’m freelance, and why I teach the classes the way I do. If anyone has a problem, then they can leave.”

“So ...”Maki glanced at him, sucking in her lower lip. “Will you accept my apology for not speaking up and come back to class?”

He inhaled, and touched Emi’s cheek with his fingertips. “What do you say, Emi-chan?  Are we swimmers again?”

“Ba ba baaaa!” She wriggled on his lap.

“I think that’s a yes,” Daichi said walking in with a tray of tea and large slabs of chocolate cake. “We have juice and water if ... uh ... sorry, what do your babies drink?”

“Oh! Dai, you should have made camomile,” Suga said at once. “And not those. We have rice cakes somewhere, or rusks.”

“This is absolutely fine,” Maki interrupted, before Daichi had walked away.  She smirked. “I get so tired of camomile, so proper tea, and Kento loves chocolate cake.”

 

They left soon after finishing, with phone number swapping and promises for playdates hanging in the air. And as Suga cleaned Emi’s very chocolaty hands, he smiled at Daichi.

“What are you so happy about, Shrimpy?” Daichi teased.

“HA!” he threw the wet wipe at him. “Make yourself useful and put that in the bin for me.”

He did, then returned to Suga, shifting along the carpet until he was sat beside him. Suga dipped sideways, resting his head on Daichi’s shoulder and grinning as Emi decided Daichi’s tie was good to chew on.

“I’m glad you’re smiling. Damn near breaks my heart when you cry, you know that?” Daichi muttered, and covered Suga’s hand with his own.

“I’m happy,” Suga replied, taking a long, slow breath. “And counting our lucky stars that a day which started so badly has inexplicably turned out so well.”

“Not inexplicable,” Daichi replied, and nuzzled Suga’s ear. “Everyone adores you. Mind you...”

“What?” Suga asked, his eyes narrowing.

Daichi smirked. “If our daughter’s first word turns out to be ‘eff you cee kay’ then I’m punching you, Koushi,” he whispered.

“Dee you emm bee –” he started to spell out, but then a packet landed at their feet. Looking up, he saw his mum hovering at the door, perhaps unsure whether she should intrude.

“Present for my son, so he stops complaining that I’ve forgotten him,” she said softly.

Beckoning her in, he ripped open the paper with Emi’s help, and then groaned. “Mum, how could you? This will make him worse!”

Daichi laughed, holding aloft a pale blue pair of trunks, covered in shrimps. “Look, Emi-chan, Daddy’s going to be so smart at swimming.  We’ll have to get you a costume to match!”

“Already done,” his mum replied, lobbing another parcel their way. “And shrimps _are_ pink, so you’re not allowed to scowl at me, Koushi.”

His shoulders shaking as he tried to quell his laughter under Suga’s belligerent gaze, Daichi reached over to cup his face, smothering him with petal soft kisses.  Emi shrieked whether or not with laughter, or indignation because she was being ignored, Suga never found out, for the next moment a pair of hands had swept her away.

And a melody lilted towards them, light and laughing, full of love and life, melting his heart as surely as Daichi’s kisses and Emi’s smiles.

“ _Soon you’ll grow, so take a chance  
On a couple of Kooks, hung up on romancing._ ” 

 


End file.
